Treatments

The UCLA cerebrovascular program is one of the leading research, diagnosis and treatment centers in the world. Our program has a long history of innovation, with surgeons who are on the forefront of new technologies. We continue to participate in research and clinical trials in our ongoing quest to improve outcomes for our patients.

Cerebrovascular treatment: The UCLA difference

When you come to UCLA for treatment for your cerebrovascular condition, you will receive care from highly skilled surgeons, as well as access to the most current surgical devices, techniques and technology. We use this knowledge and access to create a customized surgical plan for each patient. Some of the benefits you can expect include:

• Less invasive techniques: Our minimally invasive keyhole techniques for open brain surgery mean smaller incisions, easier recovery and better outcomes. We also perform endovascular surgery without an incision. These procedures allow for speedy recovery and are recommended when appropriate.
• The safest technologies: We use 3-D virtual reality before and during surgeries when appropriate to help plan and execute a procedure with a clear vision of a patient’s unique anatomy.
• Advanced neurophysiologic monitoring: We use neurologic monitoring devices to continuously track brain and nerve function, both during surgery and while you recover in the intensive care unit. When appropriate, we perform awake surgery to even more accurately monitor brain function.
• Real-time blood-flow monitoring: Advanced Doppler ultrasound helps us measure exactly how well blood flows to your brain during each step of your surgical procedure.
• Expert postoperative care: Our experienced nursing teams specialize in taking care of patients who have just undergone complex cerebrovascular surgery. They work together with our skilled physical and occupational therapists to help you recover more quickly. Your first stop after surgery will be the Neurointensive Care Unit, or Neuro-ICU. Here, we care for patients with all types of neurosurgical and neurological injuries. The Neuro-ICU team consists of compassionate, highly skilled bedside nurses, nurse practitioners, physicians in specialty training (fellows) and attending physicians (neuro-intensivists). Read more in the UCLA Neuro ICU Family Guide.

UCLA cerebrovascular program: Treatments we offer

Our skilled surgeons perform thousands of treatments every year on patients with a variety of cerebrovascular conditions. Depending on your diagnosis, possible treatments could include:

• Microsurgery: When your condition calls for brain surgery, we are able to customize our approach, using the latest technologies (including 3-D virtual reality) to make it safer and less invasive, with faster recovery times and better outcomes.
• Endovascular surgery: We use minimally invasive endovascular techniques whenever possible. These include flow diversion, coiling, placement of stents and blockage of blood vessels into arteriovenous malformations (AVM) and tumors.
• Micro-coiling: Small platinum wires called coils are placed into aneurysms to seal them off. Coiling is sometimes performed with balloons or stents designed to hold coils in place. The Guglielmi detachable coils that are now standard for treating complex aneurysms and AVMs were developed and perfected at UCLA.
• Awake brain surgery: Using a technique called intraoperative brain mapping, our surgeons are able to safely remove AVMs or cavernous malformations while patients are awake and responsive. This technique lets surgeons remove AVMs and cavernous malformations without damaging critical parts of the brain.
• Bypass surgery: Our surgeons use direct and indirect bypass surgery in the treatment of moyamoya disease. During surgery, we measure intraoperative blood flow to help tailor the procedure for each patient. We also use bypass surgery to treat some aneurysms.